One Voice Brevard

01/16/2026

01/16/2026

Good morning and - Happy !

The first week of the 2026 Florida Legislative Session is over, and we could use your help!

HB 411, Terminology Associated with Autism (which seeks to update the legal definition of Autism to match the current DSM, which is used to diagnose), is awaiting scheduling in its first committee of reference, the House Human Services Subcommittee, which is chaired by Representative Lauren Melo.

As the Legislative Session is only 60 days long (and we have already ended the first week), it is CRUCIAL that if we want this bill to succeed, we need it to be added to the agenda to be heard as soon as possible.

➡️ Can you help by doing a quick phone call 📞 or email 📧 to Representative Melo's office to respectfully request that she add it to her agenda? (We have created a quick draft/script that you can use.)

We appreciate your help so much as we continue to work towards helping our community here in Florida!

Also, don't forget that the next meeting of our partner, We the People. By The People. For ALL the People, "Real Talk" series is scheduled for today at 3:00 PM EST, and you must register to receive the link here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DoTsRv0NSASWmDdXOBE9yw #/registration

We will be talking about bills, budgets, and more - so hope to see you there!

01/16/2026

01/16/2026

Caring for a child with autism often means building the right medical team—and knowing where to turn can feel overwhelming. 💙🧩

From pediatricians 👩‍⚕️ and gastroenterologists 🦠 to neurologists 🧠, immunologists 🛡️, and more, each specialist plays a role in supporting your child’s health and development 🌱. If your child is experiencing GI issues, sleep challenges 😴, behavioral changes, immune concerns, or developmental regression, it may be time to add another expert to your care team 🤝.

You’re not alone in navigating this journey 💞. TACA has checklists and trusted resources to help you understand which doctors may be the best fit for your child’s needs—and when to seek deeper answers 🔍📋.

👉 Download the checklist here: https://secure.everyaction.com/AbKE5YnvL0Suj7SB9pivaw2
🌐

01/15/2026

Emerging Adult Series Part Three – Navigating Co Occurring Challenges: Supporting Mental Health and Substance Use Together / Latest News, Recovery, Trainings, Webinars, Workforce Development, Youth and Emerging Adults / By Jeremy Countryman Are you supporting a young adult facing both mental healt...

01/15/2026

01/15/2026

Good morning !
The 2026 Legislative Session has begun! One Voice Brevard and our partner, Florida Voices for Health, were at the capital to begin advocating!

On 13 January, we were able to help advocate for two bills in the Senate: SB 206 (Students with Autism) and SB 556 (High School Diploma), which were found favourable and moved on to their next committee.

On 14 January, we attended multiple meetings with legislators to share our platform and discuss bills that we are supporting this session, to include (but not limited to):

SB 1652/HB 411 - Terminology associated with
SB 1136/HB 1091 - Dental Screenings for K-12 Students
SB 1640/HB 1507 - Medicaid Dental Pilot Program for Persons with Disabilities
SB 428/HB 85 - Swimming Lesson Voucher Program

(Our full list of tracked bills can be found on a previous post.)

On 14 January, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met to discuss the Governor's budget recommendations for the year 2026-2027 and key agencies such as:
- AHCA
- APD
- DCF
- DoH

I have added some key slides from that presentation, but to see the full meeting packet, please click here:

https://flsenate.gov/Committees/DownloadMeetingDocument/8014

You can also see the recording of the hearing here:

https://flsenate.gov/media/VideoPlayer/5938

As you can see, there's been A LOT going on! We will be co-hosting a meeting with our partner We the People. By The People. For ALL the People, tomorrow at 3:00 PM on Zoom - please be sure to register here:

https://www.flddadvocacy.org/meetings

(And if you can't make the live meeting, all recordings are kept here:

https://www.youtube.com/

Week 1 of Legislative Session is almost done!

01/13/2026

A University of Central Florida student will ride from Miami to Tallahassee this summer as part of a two-week cycling journey promoting empathy, inclusion and acceptance for people with disabilities.https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/teen-cycles-from-miami-to-tallahassee-to-support-people-with-disabilities/?FBWSVN

01/12/2026

Supporting Autistic Learners Who Are Nonspeaking or Minimally Speaking: What Every Parent Should Know with Lisa Mihalich Quinn, Julie Sando, and Dr. Edlyn Vallejo Peña

Families of nonspeaking and minimally speaking autistic learners are often told to wait, to lower expectations, or to focus only on basic skills. But emerging research, lived experience, and the voices of autistic individuals themselves tell a different story: access, autonomy, and communication are possible when we presume competence and provide the right supports.

Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
When: Wednesday, January 14th from 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Want to join us?
https://xminds.org/event-6434341